University of Georgia releases new SeaBreeze seashore paspalum turfgrass

The University of Georgia (UGA) recently released a new vegetative seashore paspalum turfgrass called SeaBreeze.

Developed at the university’s campus at Griffin, Ga., after 16 years of research, this is the fifth paspalum released by UGA, the third under the leadership of Paul Raymer, Ph.D. Raymer is a professor of crop and soil science at the Institute of Plant Bleeding, Genetics and Genomics at UGA.

Photo: University of Georgia

SeaBreeze is suitable for use on golf courses from tee to green. It offers a long list of benefits including superior drought tolerance.

Two sod producers in Florida currently grow SeaBreeze and limited licensing opportunities are available in other regions. Acres of SeaBreeze are being expanded now and sod and sprigs will be available early this summer for projects worldwide.

“This grass establishes readily and grows in rapidly,” Raymer said. “I think sod producers are going to love it because it cycles quickly and it’s fun to grow.”

SeaBreeze is a vigorous vegetative seashore paspalum cultivar that produces quality turf under a range of mowing heights and is suitable for use on golf courses. It tested under the experimental name of ‘UGP 73’ and has been under development and evaluation for 16 years.

It went under evaluation in both in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) at eight southern locations from 2016-2020 where it was a decisive winner, as well as part of a USDA Specialty Crops Research Grant (SCRI) to develop improved drought and salinity tolerant warm-season grasses where it was tested at six southern locations from 2011-2013. It was also testing in SCRI advanced trials at six locations in 2016-2019. In initial two-year SCRI drought trials, ‘UGP 73’ was the top performing entry in overall turf quality out of 80 entries.

According to UGA, some of the characteristics of SeaBreeze include:

• It produces excellent turf quality over a wide range of mowing heights and can be used course-wide (wall-to-wall) on golf courses. It has often outperformed Salam, SeaIsle 1, SeaStar, Platinum TE and SeaDwarf.
• Has good turf color, often better than Salam, SeaIsle 1, SeaStar, Platinum TE and SeaDwarf.
• Has demonstrated superior drought tolerance to SeaStar over a wide range of irrigation regimes.
• The salt tolerance of SeaBreeze is similar to that of SeaIsle 2000 and Platinum TE and better than that of SeaIsle 1.
• SeaBreeze has demonstrated better tolerance to 60 percent shade than Platinum TE and SeaStar.

Creekside Growers of Arcadia, Fla., and Sun Turf of Ft. Pierce, Fla., license SeaBreeze.